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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Mojito Cafe

The Mojito Café is a tiny little café at the corner of 28th and Pacific. I am not exaggerating when I say “tiny”. Some would probably describe it as “cozy” or “intimate” but those words didn’t spring to mind when I visited recently for a quick lunch with my sister. It’s just tiny.

The café itself holds seven tables and six seats at the counter. When I arrived the counter was full and all but two tables were filled. I was seated immediately even though my sister had not yet arrived, which I truly appreciated because it wasn’t long before more patrons arrived and occupied the other two tables.

The atmosphere at the café was relaxed. The annual Neptune Festival was taking place and it seemed that many of the guests were coming in from the festival for a bite to eat. I just happened to be at the Heritage and had a craving.

While I waited, I looked over the menu and the wine list. The wine list only had six wines to choose from: three red and three white. With a name like “mojito café”, perhaps you expected me to order a mojito, right? I would have but I’m not a fan. So, I settled on a glass of red.

I also ordered the empanadas as an appetizer:

They serve these pastry turnovers filled with either ground beef, chorizo and cheese or olives. I ordered three so I could sample all of them. The pastry itself had a buttery flavor that was crispy but not too hard. The filling was just enough and I had to fight myself not to finish them before my sister arrived. Once she did, we placed our orders. She decided on the camarones al ajillo

This dish consists of sautéed shrimp with garlic, lime juice and fresh cilantro served with rice, beans and fresh asparagus. The shrimp were larger than expected but they seemed a little tough. Overall everything blended nicely and tasted good.

I had the Latin fricassee with chicken

This dish included sautéed peppers, asparagus, onions, olives, tomato sauce and chicken served over rice. The combination of flavors resulted in a mildly sweet taste that I just loved. It wasn’t at all complicated and looked and tasted like something I could probably make myself. If I were into that kind of thing.

The service at Café Mojito was good. The server was pleasant and even though it was quite busy she seemed to have it under control. The other guests appeared to be enjoying their experience as well. This isn’t the type of place where you feel rushed to leave. Mostly everyone was lingering over their meals as they chatted and socialized.

Parking is available in a small lot right behind the restaurant and Café Mojito serves both lunch and dinner, however, since the beach season has ended their hours are changing. Check their website for details.